Jehoram, had wrought such havoc in Judah, after the successful revolt of Edom (2 Chronicles

* See Vol. 6.

The defeat of Edom must have rendered this expedition also one of comparative ease. One by one

the great Philistine cities fell; Gath, which, in the reign of Joash, had been wrested by Hazael of

Syria, and made the starting-point of his incursion into Judah (2 Kings 12:17); Jabneh (Joshua

15:11), afterwards Jamnia, and about nine miles to the northeas t of it, and three miles from the sea,

Ashdod. It was probably owing to the importance of this strong town, which commanded the road

from Egypt, that the sacred text specially mentions this district as one in which the king "built

cities" (2 Chronicles 26:6). The general policy seems wisely to have been not to destroy nor

depopulate the Philistine cities, but to render them harmless by breaking down their fortifications,

and founding by their side throughout the Philistine territory, cities, inhabited no doubt by Juda~an

colonists. And from Philistia the expedition naturally extended to, and reduced to submission, the

Arab tribe to the south "in Gur-baal" and "the Meunim" (or Meunites).*

* On this tribe and the confederacy generally, compare Vol. 6. It seems to me likely, that even if

Gur-Baal is not identical with Gerar, about three hours to the south-west of Gaza (see the Targ.), it

must be sought in that neighborhood. From Philistia in the S.W. evidently a line of defense is

drawn to the extreme S.E. - the territory of Ammon. Near Gerar - the localization of which is not,

however, absolutely certain, opens the wady which, starting from Hebron, stretches down to

We have now probably reached the period when either luxury and corruption had so demoralized

Israel as to render it incapable of resisting the extending power of Judah, or else the government of

Jeroboam II. had become paralyzed. For although the subdual of the Philistines and the other

tribes to the south and south-east explains the statement that "the name" - here, presumably, the

authority - of Uzziah "went to the going down into Egypt," more is implied in the notice that "the

Ammonites gave gifts." This tribute imposed on Ammon evidently presupposes the occupation by

Uzziah of the intervening trans-Jordanic territory belonging to Israel.*

* Possibly Hosea 5:10 may contain an allusion to this, although perhaps more likely to events in

the reign of Jotham (comp. 2 Chronicles 27:5).

And its possession seems implied in the further notic e (2 Chronicles 26:10), that the herds of

Uzziah pastured "in the low country," that is, on the rich Philistine downs by the Mediterranean (1

Chronicles 27:28), and "in the plain," that is, on the wide grazing lands east of Jordan, in the

ancient possessio n of Reuben (Deuteronomy 3:10; 4:43; and Joshua 13.).

But by far the most important undertaking of the reign of Uzziah was the restoration and the

fortification of the northern wall of Jerusalem, which had been broken down in the time of

Amaziah (2 Chronicles 25:23). Drawing an almost straight line along the north of the ancient city,

Uzziah built three towers: "at the lower gate," in the north-western comer of the city, whence the

wall slopes slightly southwards, and towards the west; at "the valley-gate," the present Jaffa gate;

and lastly, at the opposite extremity of the northern wall (and again slightly south), to protect the

so- called "horse gate" (Nehemiah 3:28; Jeremiah 31:40), where the northern wall forms to the

east "a turning" or angle, whence it runs southwards (comp. Nehemiah 3:19, 20, 24, 25). Thus, as

the "upper city" had, besides that just mentioned, not any other gate towards the west, nor yet any

to the south, the entrance into the city was defended on the north, west, south, and at its north-

eastern angle. Moreover, these forts were armed with new and powerful engines for projecting

arrows and great stones upon any besieging host (2 Chronicles 26:15). Lastly, in accordance with

all this, we read of a re -organization of the army, "according to the number of their enrollment

(mustering) by the hand of Jeiel, the scribe, and Maaseiah, the officer (superintendent?), under the

hand (direction) of Hananiah one of the king's captains" (2 Chronicles 26:11). The levy was again